Guardian
by Chaosbeastie
Summary: Gohan is summoned into the past to be the guardian of Vegetassei and save it from Frieza. Trunks and Goten come with him. I feel quite sorry for Bardock. Liberal use of pink hair dye. Read and review. [ON HOLD]
1. Beginnings

AN: Greetings. I don't own DBZ. My chapters have a tendency to be afflicted with lack of length and I like Yaoi. And crossovers. And reviews.

Gohan's going to be the guardian of past-vegetassei. Isn't that nice. *smiles*

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Guardian, Prologue - Beginnings

~ The semi-recent past, Vegetassei ~

Frieza gathered his power at the tip of a blood red fingernail. 

A ki-blast stabbed through the planet in deathly silence. 

Then the planet exploded in a blast of equally deathly noise and a glorious shower of sparks. 

The whole thing lasted less than a minute. 

Bardock jerked himself awake, the vivid memory of his own death catching at him with a sense of unreality. 

"It was just a dream" he whispered softly, "just a dream. So why does it seem more real to me than life? This planet, Vegeta. It is still here." 

Bardock stared up at the darkness. It was a long time before he fell asleep.

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~ The slightly-more-recent past, Vegetassei ~

Years later he remembered the dream, caught up in emotion that was not - quite - despair, but by rights should have been. 

~How could the monster be so strong?~ 

Frieza had casually destroyed the planet's strongest warriors, and its king. 

That thought was traced with echoing misery. 

Bardock had served his king with fierce loyalty most of his life. 

They weren't friends, the word was almost unheard of on Vegetassei, but a Saiyan's ties of loyalty ran stronger and deeper than family and that ran deep indeed. 

Maybe it would have been called friendship if emotion of any kind had not been considered a weakness, but it was. 

The Saiyan warrior had every right to despair, but there was still hope, however faint, and Bardock had never been one to give up. 

Though technically only a third class warrior, Bardock had near perfect control over his ki, and not only for fighting. 

"Logically, this won't work" he reminded himself. 

Bardock drained his energy until it swirled around him, a moonlike silver shimmer. 

Focussing his concentration he threw all his energy into the spell, draining his reserves until he could no longer stand upright. 

Then Bardock did something almost unheard of in a Saiyan. He called for help. 

His magic wound itself through the cry and it vanished silently. 

The old warrior wondered if anyone would hear him. And if anyone did hear, would they come? 

The Saiyans had been fighters and killers long before Frieza had arrived to make them so. It wouldn't be forgotten. 

The loss of energy caught up to him in a rush and he slept.

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~ The recent past, after the Cell Games, Planet Earth ~

"Take me with you." Android 17 looked up at the time-traveler, his expression unreadable. "I need to see what I might have become." 

He had watched as Cell destroyed many noble fighters (Piccolo, Tien, Vegeta, Trunks, Goku, Gohan –the list seemed endless). 

They had survived and Cell had not, but the deliberate cruelty of it frightened him. 

Not for himself; he didn't fear death, but because he might have done the same thing. It had been to close an escape. 

He hated Cell. He didn't want to hate himself too. 

Trunks said nothing, but nodded once and held out his hand to help the android into the time machine. 

17 watched silently as the young man said goodbye to his friends before starting their journey. 

He himself had no farewells to make.

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And elsewhere, an eleven-year-old who somehow wasn't a child anymore stared at a picture of his father and smiled sadly.

~I understand. I'll miss you Dad, but I understand.~

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AN: You do know the drill I believe. Read and review.


	2. Doom, Gloom, Cell go Boom

AN: Hi there! Long time no see! Since I enjoyed writing this chapter so much, the next one will probably be out sooner. 

This is one of two Gohan fics I have bits of written (the other will be a standard G/V 'Gohan-torture-fic'), 

but the two are so intertwined that I've been having to pry them apart with a crowbar. 

I can almost tell which bits should belong with which fic by now.

Claimer: Kazyn is mine. So are Kalzor, Carmen, Storm, Ashe, and Sapphire (when/if she turns up). And the alternate timelines. 

Disclaimer: Everything else isn't.

Review replies:

Crazed fanatic anime fan: My first review! My first Review!! My First REVIEW!!!!!

HowLong: Mmmm Homicide *looks thoughtful* No. I will resist the temptation this once and update anyway.

Sio: Thanks. Will do.

simba-rulz: Quality and quantity are not equal. You just want me to write more don't you? *bats eyelashes* Yay!

Bardock Deathstar: Explanation (sort-of) at bottom. Thanks for reviewing.

Luna's Meow: Sure thing kitty.

Chapter One: Doom, Gloom, Cell go Boom

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~ Frieza's Spaceship, Past-Vegetassei Timeline ~

"Let me go" Vegeta hissed, his anger outweighing the fear in his voice.

Frieza laughed. "Now why would I want to do that, child? You're mine now."

"I belong to no-one. And I promise you, for what you have done today you will die."

The icejin tapped the boy's cheek with one cold finger, "I don't think so little monkey. 

You see, the next time we visit your home planet it will be because I am planning to use it as a fireworks display. 

You don't even have a hope of stopping me."

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~ Nowhere in particular, but possibly Frieza's mind, (Past-Vegetassei timeline.) ~

The Saiyans had been one hundred percent loyal to their king - partly from respect, and part from the unspoken 

understanding that without the unity a single ruler provided, they would tear each other to shreds. 

With the death of the king they would have transferred that loyalty to the crown prince. Frieza knew 

this of course, it was at least one of the reasons why he had taken the young prince Vegeta with him. 

Vegeta's little brother was scarcely more than a baby, not a possible leader but a future enemy to whoever 

succeeded in taking over the throne. Simply put, if Kazyn was ever found, he would die.

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~ Past-Vegetassei ~

Bardock despised the current civil war. It was vicious and bloody and glorious, but it would not help them to survive. 

Their enemy was Frieza, and only Frieza. Who got to rule the planet was of little importance compared to ensuring 

that that planet was not destroyed.

Most of his team had stayed with him, some had left to fight, others had joined him for reasons of their own. 

The mountains Bardock had chosen as a home base kept them isolated - at least for the most part - from the war.

The child in Bardock's arms blinked up at him sleepily as the warrior put him down, then fell back to sleep still 

cocooned in a nest of his own hair. Bardock made sure his charge was resting comfortably before turning his 

attention to the four he had asked to join him.

Bardock studied his companions seriously. "Frieza can no longer trust us to be the perfect tool. He believes 

we are a threat to his power - he would not have killed our king otherwise. It is only a matter of time before he tries 

to destroy the rest of us. He believes us to be a threat, so we must become one."

"King Vegeta was an Elite, and Frieza beat him effortlessly. You don't seriously believe we can stop him?" Kalzor 

sneered, sceptical as always. Bardock accepted the familiar mockery for what it was - a sincere question, and an 

important one. Kalzor had a way of stating bluntly things that the others would have hesitated to say. 

He answered his friend with a challenge of his own. "We're fighters. Saiyan warriors. Since when do we accept 

that someone is stronger than we are?" He grinned at his friends. "We just have a little bit of training to do first, that's all."

"I'm with you." Carmen asserted, first as always.

"And I," agreed Storm. She looked stubborn.

"And I." Ashe echoed, only a moment behind his twin.

Kalzor smirked at him. "Whatever you say, General."

"Stop calling me that" Bardock protested automatically. "I'm not a General." 

Bardock stared up at the stars. Two 'million to one' chances - if even one of us could become a Super Saiyan, if only someone 

hears my call and answers - we might survive. I will not give up hope.

A hand on his shoulder stirred him from his thoughts. "Get some sleep, General." 

"Kalzor." Bardock recognised an order when he heard one. He nodded. "Thanks."

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~ Mirai Timeline ~

"Er mum" Trunks said awkwardly, "you might want to go back inside for a while. There's something I have to take care of."

"Girlfriend?"

"No mum. Not a girlfriend. Please just go inside. I'll be with you in a moment."

~I'll still be able to see - technology has to be good for something.~ "Okay" she agreed reluctantly, "just don't be too long."

The moment Bulma was out of sight, 17 slipped out of the time machine and Trunks capsulated it. 

Watching unnoticed, Bulma thought that the young man with shoulder-length black hair looked somehow 

familiar. ~Boyfriend?!~ His back was towards her as he stepped up behind her son and said something she couldn't make out.

"You ready?"

"Of course."

They seemed to be waiting for something.

Juunanagou smiled grimly. "He owes both of us" 

"Right." The time-traveller nodded.

Their combined blast speared Cell through the chest and exploded. When the glare of light finally faded the evil grasshopper 

might never have existed.

Bulma fainted.

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~ A few weeks after the Cell Games, Planet Earth (Guardian timeline) ~

"I have to go mother," Gohan stared stubbornly at the ground. "If I don't start training again and soon I won't be strong 

enough next time I am needed. I can't train here." Chichi was still crying, softly now. Her son waited miserably. It was a decision he

had made years ago, when he chose to train with Piccolo to defend the Earth from the Saiyans. ~Duty doesn't call; it binds.~ He 

could not stay, no matter how desperately he wanted to.

A gentle command called him from his memories. "Gohan. Look at me." He did, startled because this wasn't the tirade he had 

been expecting. The certainty in Chichi's voice sounded more like his dead father than like his mother. "Goku almost got killed –did get 

killed- many many times being a hero. I could never stop him. That's why I wanted you to become a scholar; I was afraid you would get hurt."

"I will, but..."

"I haven't finished." Chichi swiftly cut through Gohan's objection. "Goku would always do what's right, no matter what the 

cost, and you're just the same. It's part of what makes you special." She sighed; letting go was always hard. "I wouldn't change that 

even if I could. Do what you have to Gohan, with my blessing."

Gohan's face lit up in delighted relief. "You mean it? Really?" Chichi nodded unsteadily and burst out sobbing. "Oh Gohan, 

where will you go? I've already missed so much of your childhood. You've grown so fast." 

"I was never young." For a moment the ever present shadows in his eyes deepened. "The lookout first. Tomorrow. Piccolo 

and Dende still have so much to teach me. Healing too, not just fighting." The young warrior turned away, blinking back tears that 

threatened his resolve, and Chichi wailed and embraced him tightly. 

Tomorrow came too soon for both of them. Gohan stood resignedly as his mother loaded him up with everything he could 

possibly need and a good many things that he couldn't, then –most importantly- a cooked lunch. Chichi stood back and looked at 

her eldest child seriously. "Come home sometimes Gohan, just to play with Goten and have fun. You need to know in your heart the 

happiness and innocence that you would fight to protect."

"Of course I'll come. I would miss you both too much to stay away forever." Gohan let himself float up until he stood high 

in the air, waving. He didn't speak his last thought aloud, but Chichi heard it anyway. ~I love you so much mom. Maybe I couldn't 

have done it without you, I'm glad I didn't have to try. Farewell for now.~ Neither of them let their tears fall until Gohan was far out of sight.

TBC

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AN: I don't know, it all makes perfect sense to *me.*

In clarification, this fic is suffering from multiple universe disorder. We have: 

1) Guardian timeline: splits off from 'canon timeline' at the end of the Cell Games. Gohan leaves for training.

2) Mirai timeline: the future timeline that Mirai Trunks is from.

3) Past Vegetassei timeline: instead of blowing the planet up Freiza kills the King, kidnaps the Prince, and plans to come back and destroy 

it later. Kakkarot/Goku has been sent off to Earth, and Raditz might show up later. 

4) Phoenix timeline: Should not be in this fic. Gohan grows up normally, during highschool he spends some time in the hyperbolic 

time-chamber and gets denerdified.


End file.
